Peninsula Gymnastics

My son is an apprehensive 4yo. He has been in class with Coach Mark for 9 months and his improvement has been great! Mark is a good balance between rigidity and compassion that resonates well with the younger boys.
My other son (5yo) is in class with Coach Marinko. He has also improved greatly in strength, agility, and gaining control of his body. On top of that, he has a lot of fun.
The location leaves some to be desired in parking and you’ll need to make some effort in getting a dialogue started with some of the staff but it’s a great place for kids of all interest and skill levels!

We came to Peninsula Gymnastics from the east coast. We wanted a place for my son to meet new friends and to continue gymnastics. We trialed another studio in town and found it was more of a playtime than a learning time. At Peninsula, the kids are all very on task and focused. The young ones follow the behavior of the older ones. I am always amazed at how smoothly everything goes with so many kids! I think it is because the teachers are calm and focused themselves. Imagine a room full of teenagers with no drama. I never see anything but kindness and support among the parents as well. We have done a birthday party and summer camps as well. The birthday party was such a hit that our nephew asked to have his party there as well. The summer camp was a supportive place for my son who was only 4 at the time. The teachers all show genuine love for my kids and it feels like a true family atmosphere. My daughter is now in the mom and me class. I love it because it is not hokey and she is really learning things at age 2.
Also, as a speech therapist, I notice good teaching skills… lots of modeling and tactile cues and positive reinforcement. They set the kids up to succeed instead of giving tons of feedback. Age appropriate expectations and kind and encouraging corrections. Never have I heard a single discouraging remark. Never have I seen a child embarrassed.

My daughter 6 years old likes this place ! I like the prices and the place and I can walk from house so convenient and Good service.

This place is horribly disorganized and impossible to deal with. If your daughter is 5 or over, they make you come for a 3 minute «evaluation» where they barely watch for any signs of skills. If some kid can do a push up, they ask them to try the accelerated class. What?
Recreational classes have no tracking or means of making sure more-​advanced students are in the right class. The teachers (college kids) finish their class and BOLT off the gym floor to check their phones. The teachers at the recreational level are completely checked-​out, distant, uncaring about the students, and the kids never learn a thing. They repeat the same exercises week in and week out but with NO instruction. They’re just told to «do a back bend» or «do a cartwheel». If they can’t do it, oh well. The teachers won’t give instruction and the kids never progress. I have yet to figure out how any kids ever make a competitive team or change class levels — there are no guidelines for what they are looking for or what tricks kids need to do. (I honestly think the only way to make a team is to start when you’re 3 years old and they promote you just because you’ve been there so long and they don’t want to hear the parents complain.) They have quarterly evaluations but for NO purpose. They mean NOTHING and there is no feedback on what they need to work on or how the teacher will actually help them.
After a year of classes here, we pulled our daughter. She is crazy athletic, flexible, and loves gymnastics but this place sucked all that out of her.
One last gripe, after milking you for $ 78/​month for classes, you also have to PAY TO WATCH the gymnastics shows 3 times a year! REALLY??? You have to PAY for your child to be IN the show and then they charge admission for families to watch. Unreal. AND they have the nerve to have a «tip jar» on the desk for instructors! REALLY??? There are better places out there. Trust me.

We used to go to San Mateo Gymnastics but switched over to Peninsula because everyone was really nice, the place was clean, and they seem to have so many more options for types of teams that gives a lot more kids a chance to have that team experience. My daughter is on the Pre-​Xcel team (pre-​competitive team) and has enjoyed her teachers Alex and Weica and also connecting with all the teammates! My daughter is loving it!

Initially I had doubts because of the terrible parking situation and the huge after school rush (and thus a very crowded gym), and lack of seating for parents. Definitely these are things they can work on. But I still want to give four stars of their openness to suggestions and flexibility and ease of doing makeups. When my son’s all-​boy class grew to ten I suggested to the teacher that they get a backup teacher. He fully agreed and worked with the program directors on ensuring that all the students get the attention they need. Within two classes, we had two dedicated teachers teaching his class. The staff is extremely responsive and able to adjust as necessary. Best yet my son loves his teachers and his peers (all of whom are within two years of age), and hates to miss even one class. And I love that he is building core strength and well rounded skills while having so much fun. Teacher Jared even makes time to give me an update on my son’s progress after almost every class. Keep up the good work!

We have 2 girls 3 years old in the school
Girls are very happy and like to come for classes
The trainer is execelent and kids like her
The place is very professional and clean
Administration helpful and nice
Every body try to meet the kids with good attitude
and help
Thanks a lot

I have 2 daughters, ages 9 and 6. They have both been interested in gymnastics ever since we moved to the area from out of state. I didn’t know where to look even though we live in San Mateo.
Then I remembered taking my kids to a fun birthday party a summer ago, and that was the start and end of my search. My kids have enjoyed their classes there, and I feel so lucky to have found this gym! Both of my girls are part of either a gymnastics team or a developmental gymnastics group, and both are great!
As a newcomer it might feel a bit overwhelming entering their doors… but once you’ve entered and gotten your kids in a class, your kids will love it and you will too! All of the coaches are great, professional and work well with kids — both in recreational and developmental groups. What I like is the coaches work with all levels of kids. And, the kids themselves are spread out all over the gymnasium. Our last gym in another state had the recreational and competitive gymnasts in different part of the gymnasium, and it gave a completely different feel. Peninsula Gymnastics has a better feel by having all gymnastics groups cover every area of the gymnasium.
Shirley, who works the front desk, is wonderful! She will be your first point of contact. She is super helpful and friendly. It’s amazing how she knows all the kids too!

Despite the poor reviews on Unilocal,I decided to give this place a chance because my daughter really loves gymnastics. Well, shame on me, but I should have listened to the Unilocal reviews. This is the most disorganized gym you will ever go to! So here is my story…
My daughter loves gymnastics & was super excited to attend the classes here. She went to 2 classes with no problem. However, one week, the gym was short on teachers and switched the teachers around. My daughter’s teacher took on a different group. My daughters class was just standing there clueless because no body took the time to tell them about the change. After a long time of shuffling occurred, her class was jumbled together with another teacher. Unfortunately, teacher Kayla was not very patient nor very nice to the girls. She was actually down right mean and was very demeaning to the kids. I was so upset that I spoke to the director about this teacher’s behavior and the lack of communication and disorganization. Due to this horrible experience, my daughter does not want to continue with classes there for fear of the «mean» teacher.
This gym is supposed to be a place that kids feel safe to learn and socialize, but instead it is just an old filthy gym that doesn’t manage their staff or classes very well. Don’t waste your money or time on this facility as they do not invest any attention or care into the children that attend the classes.

My daughter (9) and son (7) have been coming to Peninsula Gymnastics for 5 years and we are very happy here. They started off in the rec program and quickly became competitive. They run into the gym each day for their practice and are always excited to go. The competitive program is one of the best in the area and includes State and Regional Champions and Olympic-​level coaches. The coaching staff are great with the kids and instill discipline, hard work and team bonding. It seems chaotic in the waiting area because there are a lot of kids coming and going at once, but on the gym floor, it’s all professionalism and safety first. We are fortunate to have such a high caliber gym in our own backyard!

This dowdy little gym is a gem. Yes, the customer service is what you might expect in Russia (actually the owners are Ukranian) but so is the level of instruction (excellent.)
The instructors here are extremely dedicated to the sport of gymnastics. Some of them are world-​class coaches who’ve had students make it to the Olympics. My daughter (7) and son (4) love this place. They’ve become physically strong, well-​coordinated, and mentally disciplined thanks to these coaches.
This gym strives for excellence. As part of her training, my daughter sets specific personal goals to meet. I’ve seen the rewards of this training in how she handles school work and other life challenges.
A couple pointers for first time visitors: the gym is busy and hectic starting at 3:30. Make sure to get a sticker at the front desk for your child to wear for the first class. (Ask for Shirley.) Keep an eye out for little ones because the teachers release the kids mid-​class for a water break and they need to make their way across the crowded area to the water fountain. Also, there are quiet morning classes on Tues. & Thurs. which are excellent for 4 years & under. Teacher Carleen is wonderful with little children — super fun — they all love her.
The competitive track (called Devos) is intense but my daughter loves it. The program for boys appears to be excellent. It’s amazing to see what these young kids can do. I know several kids in the recreational classes and they love it too.
If you’re kid is constantly cart-​wheeling and climbing up the walls, this is a great place to send them. Yes, parking is difficult — you’ll need to park a block away if you arrive right before class in the afternoons — and it smells like a locker room, but you’ll quickly overlook these inconveniences as you see your child thrive.

My daughter had classes here for a year and she enjoyed them. However, the reviews about the staff being indifferent are right on. The female owner has been extremely rude to me — I would have canceled my daughters class right there but she likes going. There was a tryout for their competitive team and I would not think that my daughter was ready, but they gave her an invitation. Turns out she was not even close to ready (I watched the tryouts) — they then handed out the acceptance letters in front of all the other kids. She was painfully aware that she didn’t make it and her friends did. We were told we would be notified by email! Very demoralizing for a 6 year old. Although with her friends moving on it made it easy to cancel.
The parking is a pain. I never did find the place smelly. I think they redid the floors and that may have fixed the smell.
We are going to look at San Mateo Gymnastics instead as they have better overall reviews.

my son did 1 birthday party here, and had numerous parties by his friends here. it’s pretty good for party, kids have a blast. plenty of exercise and great time for all.
i also had him in the summer camp here for a few sessions. the first session he loved it, made a good friend and enjoyed his time there. based on the experience we signed him up for 2 more weeks, and it turned out to be completely awful. there were a bully in the camp which kept on picking on my son and the rest of the kids ended up picking on him together. after communicating w/​the camp counselor and front desk numerous times, it did not change or improve. it got to the point that i was really worried for his safety because it doesn’t seem like anyone was watching the kids too closely during free play time. the last day of the camp i almost did not let him go, for fear of his personal safety. i let him go, wanting to finish a commitment and hoping that he develop some personal skill to handle difficult people and situation, while i was really on edge until i picked him up. i was completely relieved seeing him not hurt that day. i would say that for summer camps, it’s highly dependent on the group of kids you get. the care was not too good because the staff number to kids ratio doesn’t insure that they know what’s going on at all times. i do not recommend summer camp.
my little girl also had some gym classes there. i think some of the instructors are excellent, and really does a good job training serious gymnasts. but again i’d watch the mix of kids. the instructor per kids ratio is sometimes too high to keep things fair and happy.

My boys have been going to this place for summer camp two years now and they love it. They wished that it was gymnastics all day but PG is serious about teaching the kids and have to make room for the gymnasts who train there all year long. My oldest son is begging me to send him during the school year and if its in the budget I won’t hesitate!
Thank you Peninsula Gymnastics for another wonderful year!!!

My son has been going to Peninsula Gymnastics for about a year. There are positives and negatives about this place. Specifically:
+ If you’d like your preschooler to learn real physical skills, PG is way superior to the other kiddie-​focused gymnastics places. There’s more emphasis on complex moves and doing things right and less singing in a circle and clapping hands
+ Most of the instructors are fun, engaging and supportive. We’ve had great experience with Christina and Lana in particular.
+ They are flexible — you can do makeups whenever you like
— Administratively, PG is pretty disorganized. They don’t communicate well stuff like instructor changes. This becomes more of a problem in the summer when they are busy with camps and the normal classes seem to move down on the priority list. We’ve had several unannounced instructor changes and the new teacher was clearly very inexperienced. I would not start your younger child in the gymnastics program in the summer.
— Parking can be a pain in the summer during camp weeks (but totally fine at other times)

My son is happy to come to his class at this gym. He is six, and has some difficulties with impulse control and following rules, so i think this less ‘warm and fuzzy’ approach to learning is appropriate for his age.
Reading other reviews, i agree that toddlers should be at ‘my gym’ or ‘junior gym’ type places. It has the feel of an older set up, not sure i’d do a birthday party here. Its more like a professional gym than a kids hang out.
This is NOT at bad area at all. Yes, parking is bad. Best part for me: the administration are super flexible admin me switching days and adding days. Great price and good care for drop in summer time camp — i just booked now for tomorrow all day — $ 40. My son is excited to go as he has made nice friends here.

My daughter has been coming here for over a year now. This place certainly does not deserve all the 1-​star reviews! The instructors have been great in my experience and my 6 year old daughter loves coming here. The downside are: parking can be a bitch, the place smells like locker room, and general chaos at the front desk area. That said, it’s not that bad and the kids love it and learn gymnastics.

Just had my daughter’s 4^th birthday party there. It’s 1 ½ hours for the party. 1 hour of being on the gym floor and 30 minutes in the party room. We haven’t taken classes there before. I just found them on the Internet.
Pro: no limitation on the food that you can bring. They have a fridge and freezer to keep your food.
Pro: They have 2 instructors that help the kids go through an obstacle course.
Pro: The party has full use of most of the equipment there. Obviously for 4 year olds, we didn’t use the balance beam.
Pro: They provide the paper products for your party.
Con: The first time you walk in the place smells of sweat. They have a bunch of windows but they weren’t open.
Con: Parking lot is small.
Con: They don’t have a cart to bring your food if you can’t find parking nearby.
Con: They don’t have a cart to put presents. I had to check everywhere to see if we left any presents.
Con: Once your party is over, you’re pointed to your party room and the instructors are on to the next party.
Con: They don’t have anyone in the party room helping you set up, serve cake and clean up. You do it yourself.
Probably wouldn’t go there again.

The star is for the facility, which is clean.
The staff is the problem here, at least, for the younger kids.
The administrators are in different at best. Nothing welcoming.
We only took the toddler class twice and decided to cancel our membership. Some instructors are ok with kids, but one of them was very authoritarian. Instead of trying to manage the classes so older and younger kids don’t clash, he just tried to order the kids around. He doesn’t believe adults have the responsibility to create the right learning environment for young kids but thinks their responsibility is to control the kids. When I tried to give him constructive feedback, he said «how long have you been in this business?» Basically, this is just the way it is. He might be particularly «old school», but I got the general sense that the instructors don’t understand the child development.
I don’t know what is like for the order kids, but felt that it is not a fun, nurturing and loving place for toddlers.

The instructors here are excellent.
The administrators, not so much.
Just deal with the signup process and your kids will have access to some of the best gym teachers in the state at a very affordable price. That is, if you want your kids to learn GYMNASTICS. If all you want is an exercise class, go to junior gym or some other place. This is a GYMNASTICS school. This GYMNASTICS SCHOOL consistently produces State and Regional champions in all levels.
The equipment here is all first rate, except for the competition floor which needs respringing.